Gordon: Busting Up Some Zones

DESMOND CONNERThe Hartford Courant

Several things for snowy January days. ...

Attention has been paid to Emeka Okafor, though perhaps not enough, but the Huskies have also benefited from freshman Ben Gordon's play. Gordon had 17 points against North Carolina on Saturday and was 3 of 5 from three.

The three-pointers may be the key to UConn's future success. Few can match the Huskies' transition game and many will try to slow them down with a zone. Early in the year, the Huskies were vulnerable to the tactic. But with Gordon, Tony Robertson, and even Caron Butler, taking and making more threes of late, the zones aren't as tightly packed as they used to be.

UConn coach Jim Calhoun is hoping Gordon becomes even more aggressive as the season progresses.

``Ben needs to be aggressive,'' Calhoun said. ``If he is going to shoot 10 or 12 threes a game, I have no problem. He's going to make half of them. He just is. He does it every day in practice. There is no reason to believe it won't [continue in games].''

Gordon showed how able he is from outside against the Tar Heels, coming off a high screen to bury one three and sinking another from beyond NBA range. Still, the one people were talking about after the game was the one he passed up early in the first half.

``The guys on the bench were like, `Ben, shoot the ball. You passed up three shots,''' Gordon said. ``They said, `Every time you don't shoot the ball, Coach gets mad and stomps his foot.' When I heard that I just started shooting.''

The crowd agrees with the coach.

``I don't hear the crowd, but I feel the crowd and when we reverse the ball, it's almost a disappointment when he doesn't shoot it,'' Calhoun said. ``He'll pass on good shots and then take tough shots, and that's youth a lot, but he's a talented kid. He makes us a better team.''

Gordon has been picking Butler's brain all season and appears more comfortable than he did in December. The lone exception was a shaky performance at Providence, where he scored six points and was 1 of 4 from three.

Calhoun was willing to chalk it up to his first meeting with John Linehan, who makes veteran players tentative with his lightning quickness.

``I'm still learning as I go along,'' Gordon said. ``Everything is a learning process, you know, different teams and different arenas, so I think everything is starting to come a little bit better.''

Forget The Ratings

It's worth noting that both Gordon and Okafor have made a bigger splash than their high school clippings would suggest.

That's mainly because high-school ratings systems are suspicious of players who don't play AAU ball (Gordon) and improve during their senior seasons (Okafor). Calhoun has always been able to land the player who has slipped through the cracks, (Ray Allen was highly regarded but not considered a potential NBA star), and his motto is instructive.

``We should choose who our players are, not some scouting service,'' Calhoun said. ``Ben Gordon was not a McDonald's All-American. Ben Gordon could someday play at the next level. I don't know if he will, he's got a long way, but he could.''

As for Okafor, well, there is no limit to his potential.

``He's one of the most unique individuals I have ever met,'' Calhoun said.